Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1376

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1286
CONFEDERATE MILITARY HISTORY.

Sir Henry Woodhouse, married Ann, the daughter of Sir Nicholas Bacon, keeper of records and seals, and the sister of Francis Bacon, Lord Verulam. In Virginia the line was founded by Henry Woodhouse, son of Henry Woodhouse, governor of the Bermudas. The son of William Woodhouse was Capt. Thomas Woodhouse, who owned and navigated a ship between New York and Liverpool. Capt. John Woodhouse, a son of the latter, and father of Major Woodhouse, was born in Princess Anne October 1, 1811, and died there January 15, 1869, having been occupied throughout life as a planter, also serving in the State troops as captain, in the legislature two terms and as magistrate twenty years. It may be said of the family that it has been distinguished in both the military and civil history of the State. The great-grandfather of Major Woodhouse, with his brothers, served in the Continental army, and he suffered the hardships of a prisoner of war upon a British ship. Several members of the family participated in the war of 1812, among them H. B. Woodhouse, who was afterward a brigadier-general of the State forces. Capt. John Woodhouse married Eliza Ann Woodhouse, born August 11, 1811, died October 22, 1895. Major Woodhouse, the only child which they reared, was educated in the military academy at Norfolk, and was preparing for a legal career as a student at William and Mary college when the crisis of 1861 led him to enter the military service of the State. In May, 1861, he was appointed by Governor Letcher a captain of infantry in the Twentieth regiment, Ninth brigade, Fourth division, Virginia militia. As soon as Virginia was united with the Confederate States he organized Company G of the Sixteenth Virginia infantry, which was assigned to Mahone's brigade of Anderson's division. He served in command of this company until March 16, 1863, when he was commissioned major of the regiment, a promotion richly deserved by gallant service. His record embraces nearly all the great campaigns and battles of the army of Northern Virginia, including the engagements at White Oak Swamp and Malvern Hill before Richmond, Second Manassas, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Salem Church, Bristoe Station, the Wilderness, Spottsylvania Court House, Po River, North Anna River, Cold Harbor, and the encounters on the Weldon railroad and at the Crater before Petersburg. He was wounded at Malvern Hill and at Gettysburg, and at the Crater received such serious injuries that he was entirely disabled, and was honorably retired from active service March 8, 1865. He did not leave the hospital at Richmond until June, 1865, when he returned to his home, where for several years he was restricted to such occupations as the constant use of crutches permitted. During this period he served as commissioner in chancery and member of the board of supervisors. In 1869 he was able to direct his farming operations, and finally recovering his strength he has for a quarter of a century been actively engaged in the management of the White Hall plantation. He has also since 1874 conducted the office of county treasurer, to which he was elected in that year, and has been consecutively re-elected. He is a member of Pickett-Buchanan camp, of Norfolk, and prominent in the Masonic order and Knights of Honor. Of the ancient Eastern Shore chapel, Lynnhaven Parish, of which Henry Woodhouse was a vestryman 257 years ago, he and two kinsmen, Judge